Recommend 1/4" torque wrench

[D60]

I'd like to replace my current 1/4" inch-lb tw. Presently I have a CDI 1501MRPH, and I need something still in the range of 20-150 in lbs. If it went lower than 20 or higher than 150, great.

Complaints: coarse tooth and I ALWAYS hit the limp, loose reversing switch in use.

So what I'd prefer:
-higher tooth count
-more recessed or more positive reversing lever
-probably NOT digital but I'd consider digital
-flex head a bonus but not required
-clicker of some fashion (not an old school beam, I have those, too)

Anyone have suggestions?

 

[wavinwayne]

I have a Lexivon 1/4" torque wrench that does a fine job for my light tasks. Got it from Amazon.

 

[aba4430]

I have this Husky and it is decent; includes a cal certificate.

 

[The Critic]

With the exception of using split-beam for tires, I find Snap On Techangles to be far superior to any mechanical torque wrench.

Angle is useful in 1/4” dr and the newest 1/4” TechAngles goes up to 25 ft lbs.

 

[Hirev]

I been using the Suzume 1/4" torque wrench 20-220 in. Lb off amazon for about a year, so far I like it. Scale is easy to read. The scale was very hard to read on my previous 1/4"

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[Timmastertech]

I have a 10-50 inch pounds snapon click and a 50-250 inch pounds snapon click as well as a 1/4 inch techangle. These days I usually use the techangle.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I have the 1/4 Tecton. Haven't used it much...

 

[doitmyself]

I'm lucky to have a 1/4" Snap On Techangle at work. It's really nice on low torque fasteners because you can see the advancing torque just like an old style dial torque wrench. But man, the Snap On price tag is outrageous for occasional shadetree mechanic use.

There must be reasonably priced electronic wrenches now.

 

[benjamming]

I'm lucky to have a 1/4" Snap On Techangle at work. It's really nice on low torque fasteners because you can see the advancing torque just like an old style dial torque wrench. But man, the Snap On price tag is outrageous for occasional shadetree mechanic use.

There must be reasonably priced electronic wrenches now.

$750!

 

[Cujet]

Modern high tech beam or dial. The rest fall short of being able to do certain jobs correctly, as holding a torque is required for proper fastener stretch. Connecting rod bolts and head bolts/studs come to mind.

Here is a story from the light aircraft world, where the pilot crashed a plane due to a click type torque wrench:

The culprit was the cylinder #1 connecting rod, which became disconnected from the crank when a bolt sheared, punching a couple of holes in the crankcase in the process. The reason the bolt failed is that it was not properly stretched, which takes minutes of torque held on the nut. When the bolt is not stretched, the cyclic loads fatigue the steel into failure. When it is stretched, the bolt never feels any more load than the stretch load.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I have a Tekton 0-150 in-lb click style. I use it to torque an aluminum end plate on a Viesmann boiler when I remove the plate to clean the boiler fire chamber. It does what it’s supposed to. Available on Amazon.

 

[D60]

Thanks all, undecided

 

[drtyler]

I use a few Eclatorq digitals, and they have worked well for me. My 1/4" came from Amazon.co.jp, but I'm not seeing it listed anymore.

The Grainger/Westward appears to be an Eclatorq.

https://www.grainger.com/product/WESTWARD-Electronic-Torque-Wrench-Inch-4RYL2?searchQuery=4RYL2

https://www.zoro.com/westward-elect-torque-wrench-14-in-fixed-4ryl2/i/G0618003/?q=4RYL2

 

[D60]

In considering this, I might give it awhile and hope Icon releases a TechAngle fighter. I bought the 1/2" Icon flex digi angle for Subaru head bolts and don't really have any complaints.

In the meantime I can keep complaining about my 30T CDI (yay!)

 

[Timmastertech]

Modern high tech beam or dial. The rest fall short of being able to do certain jobs correctly, as holding a torque is required for proper fastener stretch. Connecting rod bolts and head bolts/studs come to mind.

Here is a story from the light aircraft world, where the pilot crashed a plane due to a click type torque wrench:

The culprit was the cylinder #1 connecting rod, which became disconnected from the crank when a bolt sheared, punching a couple of holes in the crankcase in the process. The reason the bolt failed is that it was not properly stretched, which takes minutes of torque held on the nut. When the bolt is not stretched, the cyclic loads fatigue the steel into failure. When it is stretched, the bolt never feels any more load than the stretch load.

Fasteners are not torqued in that manner in the automotive world. Anything that needs to be stretched is tightened in a torque plus angle method. Its exceedingly rare, though not unheard of, that there will be a wait period in a torque sequence but all that I have ever run across are wrench off and the second stage is a higher spec than the first stage.

 

[thescreensavers]

I avoid digital, always dead when you need em!

Basic clickers of any decent brand will work, as long as they are functional and are reasonably accurate that's all ya really need.

 

[Jeep_Riot]

I have the 1/4 Tecton. Haven't used it much...

Same. Gets a good amount of use with no issues.

 

[PF52]

Another vote for the Tekton TRQ21101 here. Its range is 10-150 in-lbs..... Useful for carbon fiber bikes where often the spec is for some number in-between 10 and 20 in-lbs and the more-common 20-150 wrenches are too much.

 

[D60]

Another vote for the Tekton TRQ21101 here. Its range is 10-150 in-lbs..... Useful for carbon fiber bikes where often the spec is for some number in-between 10 and 20 in-lbs and the more-common 20-150 wrenches are too much.

I am considering something like that as a stop-gap -- maybe even the Lexivon but maybe that's sketchy. It would at least get me away from the 30T head I have now, which honestly is annoying even for trans pan bolts. That said, I should probably just keep the ~$40-60 and put it toward a nice digi angle unit. I'll eventually wish I had one that was angle-capable.

I'm not really willing to pay Snappy retail but there are alternatives. It seems most of the Matco and MAC stuff is Eclatorq and depending upon numerous factors can be had for more reasonable money. And most go ~13 to 265 in lbs, close enough to SnapOn's latest-greatest for me. I have a TechAngle in 3/8" (pawn shop find at $300, although I've never checked calibration) that can easily take over at that point.

 

[wtd]

I have the Lexivon 1/4"and it has worked fine so far but I have not used it that much.